Adopting the Department of Youth, Family, and Children’s model policy and reporting of confinement and isolation data

During the 2020 Legislative Session, Second Substitute House Bill 2277 Concerning Youth Solitary Confinement was passed. Beginning June 11, 2020, separating youth and confining them as a punishment or retaliation is prohibited. In recognition of the potential harm caused by prolonged confinement and the demonstrated ineffectiveness for reducing behavioral incidents, the bill further defined the limited instances when room confinement and isolation can be used. The model policy is intended to provide additional guidance on how to use room confinement or isolation in a way that advances the rehabilitative goals of the juvenile justice system in Washington State, and that it is not used as a punitive measure. Grays Harbor County has chosen to adopt the Model Policy for Reducing Confinement and Isolation in Juvenile Facilities.

RCW 13.22.050 requires that counties operating a detention facility must compile and report on their website data related to the room confinement and solitary confinement of youth in their custody.

RCW 13.22.060 also requires that confinement data be reported to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Grays Harbor County Juvenile Court is committed to providing a safe and rehabilitative environment for the youth assigned to our care. The attached data completes Grays Harbor County’s obligation to report and post its confinement and isolation data on the department website. All incidents of isolation or confinement contained in this data occurred because of the department’s commitment to maintaining the safety of the youth in our facility.  Crisis mental health professionals and/or medical providers play a key role in routinely evaluating these youth and advising detention staff of the youth’s level of safety needs.

Note:   Total time reported is the time the youth was ASSIGNED to the room, not the total amount of consecutive time the youth spent in the room and does not account for time youth spent outside of the room for programming or events such as medical, school, court, counseling, visitation, recreation, and other meetings.  

Model policy for reducing confinement and isolation in juvenile facilities (wa.gov)

Reporting of Confinement and Isolation Data.pdf